Visiting Nurse Association joins University of Vermont Health Network

The Family Room, a parent-child center in Burlington, will become an independent nonprofit away from its current umbrella organization, the Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties
Wochit

Buy Photo

The University of Vermont Medical Center earned a top ranking at 13th for the sixth consecutive year in the Vizient University HealthSystem Consortium Quality and Accountability Study.(Photo: GLENN RUSSELL/FREE PRESS FILE)Buy Photo

The Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties will join the University of Vermont Health Network on Jan. 1 following a unanimous vote of VNA's board of directors.

Judy Peterson, president and CEO of the Visiting Nurse Association, said in a statement she is "thrilled" to have a "seat at the table" alongside the member hospitals and physician organizations that already are part of the UVM Health Network.

"Through better integration, we will be able to provide more seamless, personalized, compassionate care while also improve the health of the whole community by reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and controlling costs," Peterson said.

Dr. John Brumsted, president and CEO of the UVM Health Network, said in a statement the partnership with the Visiting Nurse Association "perfectly captures Vermont's approach to healthcare reform."

Mayor Miro Weinberger receives the VNA Cares for Children Award at the 2016 Spring Blooms! Fashion Show. He poses with VNA President Judy Peterson.(Photo: PHOTO BY DARIA BISHOP)

"Better coordination bertween our organizations will enhance the excellent care the VNA is known for, and provide patients with a smoother transition back home when they have had a hospital stay," Brumsted said.

The partnership between the two organizations is the result of discussions about ways to strengthen efforts to improve healthcare in Vermont that began in late 2015. In late May, the Visiting Nurse Association signed a letter of intent to explore a formal affiliation with the UVM Health Network.

Buy Photo

Dr. John Brumsted, president and CEO of the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, on Thursday, July 13, 2017.(Photo: GLENN RUSSELL/FREE PRESS)

Brumsted said in a statement in June that having the Visiting Nurse Association join the network would give the hospital the opportunity to better coordinate patient care where it is delivered and improve outcomes for both Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.

"As we move away from the fee-for-service world, this type of integration is essential," Brumsted said.

Fee-for-service involves patients and insurers paying per visit or treatment, with no limits on spending. Under the value-based payment system Vermont is moving toward with OneCare Vermont, doctors and hospitals have a budget for taking care of a defined group of patients. If they exceed the budget, they get penalized. If they save on the budget, they get rewarded.

After affiliating with the UVM Health Network on Jan. 1, the Visiting Nurse Association will remain a nonprofit organization with its own board of directors, responsible for its own balance sheet and fundraising efforts. Peterson said in a statement the Visiting Nurse Association will continue to provide "medically necessary services" to anyone who needs them, regardless of ability to pay.

Buy Photo

Members of the VNA Hospice Services Graceful Passage dragon boating team get excited before a race at the annual Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival in Burlington on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017.
The annual event is put on by Dragonheart Vermont, a team made up of cancer survivors and supporters of survivors, and presented by BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont. Funds raised through this year’s event will go to Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, a camp for children who have or have had cancer and their families. Linda Dyer, founder and past president of Dragonheart Vermont, said the money is meant to go toward a new dining pavilion at the camp. Donations are being accepted through August at ridethedragon.org.(Photo: ELIZABETH MURRAY/FREE PRESS)

"Joining the UVM Health Network affords us the opportunity to tap into additional resources to continue this mission," Peterson added.

Among the benefits Peterson cited from joining the UVM Health Network were expanded telemonitoring services, increased opportunities for education for clinical staff, and better coordination of patient care among the Visiting Nurse Association, the hospital and physician offices.

Peterson also cited group purchasing through the UVM Health Network as a way the Visitng Nurse Association will realize savings that can be reinvested in programs and staff. Technological advances such as shared electronic medical records will make care more "seamless" for patients and staff, Peterson said.

The Visiting Nurse Association will keep its current name for at least the next year while it focuses on integrating into the UVM Health Network. Eventually, the Visiting Nurse Association will adopt UVM Health Network branding and change its name to reflect its role within the network.